Minnesota Wildfires

New state record set for wildfire smoke concentration near Duluth

Smoke by a water tower
The Ely water tower rises through wildfire smoke on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Smoke from multiple wildfires burning across northeastern Minnesota and Ontario blanketed the region, reducing visibility and degrading air quality as firefighters continued battling several large fires near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s West Duluth air quality monitor measured a new state record for wildfire smoke concentration Wednesday morning.

The preliminary reading of 600.1 is the highest hourly fine particle concentrations from wildfire smoke measured by monitors in Minnesota since 2014, according to the MPCA.

New records were also set in Grand Portage (576.3) and Duluth (513.3) Wednesday.

An air quality alert remains in effect for much of the state through 11 a.m. Friday.

On Tuesday morning, Grand Portage had the worst air quality in all of America.

The highest hourly fine particle concentration on record in Minnesota is 657 and was set at 10 p.m. on July 4, 2020, in Minneapolis. This was the result of smoke from personal fireworks after municipal firework displays were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and poor atmospheric dispersion.